Tag: Dane Belton

Giants training camp: 10 takeaways from Day 4

The New York Giants wrapped up their first week of training camp with practice No. 4 on Saturday, and here are 10 quick takeaways.

The New York Giants wrapped up their acclimation period with the fourth and final training came practice of the week on Saturday.

Things kicked off with head coach Brian Daboll conducting his routine pre-practice press conference. He focused primarily on recapping the first three days and breaking down how Saturday’s practice would be structured.

The players will have on off day on Sunday before returning on Monday morning for the first padded practice of camp.

Here are 10 quick takeaways from practice No. 4.

2022 Big Ten Media Day: Iowa Hawkeyes’ Kirk Ferentz previews the college football season

At Big Ten Media Days, Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz had plenty to say in previewing the 2022 season.

One of the hallmark signs that the college football season is just around the corner got underway on Tuesday. On the first day of the 2022 Big Ten Media Days, Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz was flanked by linebacker Jack Campbell, defensive back Kaevon Merriweather and tight end Sam LaPorta to preview the Hawkeyes’ upcoming season.

After being introduced by Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren, Ferentz opened up with the following statement before taking several questions from the media. Here’s everything Ferentz had to say on Tuesday.

2022 Giants training camp preview: Safety

The New York Giants are going to look very different (and somewhat thin) at safety in 2022.

The New York Giants are entering a new era at safety in 2022 after parting ways with last year’s two starters — Jabrill Peppers and Logan Ryan.

New defensive coordinator Wink Martindale likes to use his safeties in pressure packages and they are expected to be very aggressive in the new scheme.

The unit is coached by Jerome Henderson and Mike Treier, holdovers from Joe Judge’s staff.

Here’s a quick rundown of the key names to know at safety heading into training camp.

Giants sign pair of picks from 2022 NFL draft class

The New York Giants have signed two members of their 2022 NFL draft class to rookie contracts

The New York Giants have signed two members of their class from the 2022 NFL draft, as wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson and safety Dane Belton both signed their rookie deals Monday.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport first reported the news, which the team confirmed later in the day.

Robinson, a second-round pick out of Kentucky, gives the Giants another undersized-but-explosive weapon for Daniel Jones and the offense. Belton, a fourth-rounder out of Iowa, adds depth and youth to a secondary in need of replacing some experience, following the departure of veteran cornerback James Bradberry.

With the signings, the Giants now have their entire 2022 draft class under contract before training camp.

[listicle id=638330]

Giants agree to terms with rookies Wan’Dale Robinson, Dane Belton

The New York Giants have agreed to terms with rookie safety Dane Belton and rookie wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson.

The New York Giants have agreed to terms with two new rookies from their 2022 NFL draft class.

The Giants have agreed to terms with both their second- and fourth-round draft picks to their rookie contracts. The entire Giants draft class (all 11 picks) will now soon be under contract.

Their second-round pick, Wan’Dale Robinson, adds another playmaker for Big Blue at the wideout position. He was an electric athlete in college and broke out his junior year as he totaled 1,445 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns for the Kentucky Wildcats.

Pairing Robinson with another shifty receiver, Kadarius Toney, should give the Giants a lot of opportunities to diversify the game plan and spread defenses out.

As for the Giants’ fourth-round draft pick, Dane Belton should have an opportunity to get Week 1 reps at the safety position.

The team is paper thin in the defensive backfield. After Julian Love and Xavier McKinney, the Giants have no players on the roster that have played snaps at the safety position. Belton has had three years of experience as an Iowa Hawkeye where he was a star, even recording five interceptions in his final season.

This combination of skill and experience gives Belton the opportunity to play right away for New York.

[listicle id=694150]

Giants’ Dane Belton still hasn’t tried New York pizza, bagels

New York Giants rookie Dane Belton is still getting his feet under him as he adjusts to New York/New Jersey and its cuisine.

The New York Giants took Iowa safety Dane Belton with the 114th selection in this year’s NFL draft, and he’s ready to embark on his first professional training camp this summer.

The Tampa, Florida, native is still very green when it comes to the Northeast, especially with the cuisine of the New York Metro Area such as bagels and pizza.

“I have not,” Belton told Hawkeye Report when asked if he checked out any of the local pizza or bagel eateries. “Right now, I’m basically eating facility food, so hopefully when I have a couple of days off and go up to New York, I’ll be able to venture out.”

The Giants drafted Belton with hopes that he can become a key cog in coordinator Wink Martindale’s defense this year and beyond.

At 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Belton played both safety and ‘hybrid’ linebacker at Iowa and the Giants could thrust him into a similar role when he gets to camp next month.

At rookie minicamp, Belton got a test of what was to come.

“In college I played that star role as well as safety,” Belton said. “Right now, I’m just working on learning both safeties and being able to be versatile, that’s the biggest thing for me.

“Being able to play multiple positions in college, translates to blitzing off the edge, covering deep and match routes underneath. Just shows the versatile aspect to myself. And right now, I’m just learning safety, but once I feel I’ve got this down, hopefully they’ll be able to move me around.”

That’s the plan.

[listicle id=693559]

Former Iowa Hawkeyes safety Dane Belton vying for New York Giants starting job

Former Iowa Hawkeyes safety Dane Belton is showing the New York Giants what Hawkeyes fans know. He can play. He wants the starting job.

From the very first day that Dane Belton joined the Iowa Hawkeyes, he made an instant impact with his defensive play in the secondary.

It appears he may be doing the same with equal impact in the NFL. After being drafted by the New York Giants, Belton may be pushing for a starting job right out of the gates.

While at Iowa, defensive coordinator Phil Parker found a home for Belton as the “CASH,” which can be described as a hybrid position of safety and outside linebacker in layman’s terms.

He certainly proved he can play the safety position as he led the Hawkeyes with five interceptions during the 2021-22 season. As the leader in the secondary, Belton helped propel the entire defense to 25 interceptions, which led the country.

When Iowa ran into teams with a run-heavy offense, Belton was often rolling down into the box and filling the run alleys to provide support in the run game. This versatility is what makes his skillset so unique and intriguing to NFL staffs. The modern-day NFL requires players to be able to contribute in multiple ways and that may just be how Belton gets onto the field as a rookie starter.

The Giants have a decimated secondary after losing a handful of last season’s starters in the offseason. Belton’s versatility to play as a true safety, help in run support, line up against slot receivers, and even run with tight ends checks a lot of boxes for a defense looking to rebuild with youth.

Another advantage Belton has is that the Giants brought in Wink Martindale as their defensive coordinator. Rather than going to a system where the coordinator has spent time with guys, everyone is starting from the same spot.

Whether it be a starter or situational player that comes in for specific packages, the one thing that will hold true is Dane Belton getting considerable playing time next year in the NFL. Not only will he get the playing time, he will make the most of it as well.

[listicle id=4940]

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Riley on Twitter: @rileydonald7

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Iowa Hawkeyes boast sizable lead over FBS with 89 interceptions over the past 5 seasons

Interceptions are game changing. No one does it better than the Hawkeyes. Over the last five years, they have handily outpaced the nation.

The Iowa Hawkeyes have intercepted more passes than any team in the entire country over the last five years by a large margin. Their ability to get takeaways in the passing game has continued to develop under Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz and defensive coordinator Phil Parker.

Over the last five seasons, the Hawkeyes have reeled in 89 interceptions. That provides them with a wide gap of the next best team. They have 10 more interceptions than any other FBS team does over the same stretch.

A large contribution of that can be accounted for in 2021 when Iowa was able to take the ball away via 25 interceptions. That was spearheaded by current New York Giant Dane Belton and returning All-American Riley Moss, who looks to build on a phenomenal 2021.

Iowa has a large contingent of defensive backs in the NFL that helped contribute to 89 interceptions over the last five seasons. Matt Hankins, Jack Koerner, Dane Belton, Geno Stone, Amani Hooker, Josh Jackson, Michael Ojemudia, and Desmond King all played a role.

This shows the “cheat code” that it is to play in the Iowa secondary on the way to the NFL that former Hawkeye Micah Hyde elaborated on.

Iowa is reloading their secondary and bringing in some serious talent. Terry Roberts, Cooper DeJean, and Kaevon Merriweather will look to stamp their impact on the program in 2022. Five-star recruit Xavier Nwankpa will look to add to the interception total early as he has been named a top incoming freshman in the Big Ten.

Takeaways and interceptions have been a staple of what makes Iowa who they are and the proof is in the pudding. There is not a single team in the country better at intercepting the ball than the Iowa Hawkeyes.

[listicle id=4652]

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Riley on Twitter: @rileydonald7

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Best photos of Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker Jestin Jacobs entering 2022

Jestin Jacobs already has 57 tackles in nine career starts. Here’s his best moments with the Hawkeyes so far through these fantastic photos.

Iowa’s Dane Belton was selected by the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft with the 114th overall pick. It leaves a hole in the Hawkeyes’ defense, particularly in the secondary where he reeled in a team-high five interceptions for a unit that led the nation in that category with 25.

Belton played the hybrid CASH position for Iowa, though, so he operated differently than a typical safety would. With his departure, it means more snaps for Hawkeyes linebacker Jestin Jacobs.

Jacobs was listed atop the depth chart for Iowa at the CASH position at the beginning of the spring and, really, it’s a natural progression. The 6-foot-4, 236 pound junior started eight games for Iowa last season, logging 53 total tackles.

The Englewood, Ohio, product has already had some bright moments with the Hawkeyes, including his lone interception of last season during Iowa’s 23-20 win over Penn State that set up the Hawkeyes’ first score.

There’s sure to be more on the way as the calendar turns to 2022. Here’s a look at Jacobs’ Iowa Hawkeyes career thus far through these fantastic photos.

7 things to watch for during Giants minicamp

The New York Giants will conduct their mandatory three-day minicamp this week, and here are seven things to keep an eye on.

The New York Giants will conduct their mandatory three-day minicamp this week at their facility in East Rutherford. There’s a ton of speculation heading into this season and it’s almost impossible to list all of the things we’ll be looking for.

With that having been said, here’s a list of seven things (of many) Giants fans should be keeping an eye on.